Crux Magi Read online

  “Alright guys, this is the plan. Porsha’s going to create a tunnel between here and there. I’m going with her to provide back up in case we encounter anything, but I need all you guys up here, laying down some covering fire as a distraction.”

  “Do you think that’ll be enough?” Griff asked.

  “Maybe, maybe not. Get inventive if you need to. Make some dummy runs to get over there. The key is to keep them from realising we’re going to pop up from beneath them.”

  Griff nodded. “Copy that.”

  “Good, then let’s do this,” Dain ordered, and his men moved out to find their firing positions. ~Fire when ready,~ Dain ordered, as he stood beside Porsha waiting for the distraction to begin before they made their move.

  Seconds later, gunfire split the atmosphere, and Porsha summoned her Magic. Immediately, a huge borehole appeared in the ground, angled down, and Porsha set off down it, striding as she walked, her hand raised as she focused on her Magic.

  In Dain’s Aetheric Sight, he could see the Essentia she was moving through herself to fuel her Magic. Ahead of her, the rock and stone transformed into air at an impressive speed.

  “Have you done this before?” Dain asked.

  “Concentrating,” Porsha replied, continuing on.

  “Oh, sorry.” He didn’t mean to distract her. They hadn’t gone far before Porsha’s tunnel intersected with a sewer pipe, and wastewater began to flow into the tunnel.

  “Oh, yuk,” Dain commented as he shouldered his weapon and checked in each direction, his Aetheric Sight cutting through the darkness. They were alone, as far as he could tell.

  ~How’s it going up there?~ Dain Linked to Griff.

  ~So far so good. We’re drawing fire from them. I think we have their attention.~

  ~Excellent, keep it up. We’re making good progress.~

  ~Pleased to hear it, sir,~ Griff answered with a note of sarcasm in his reply. Dain let it go. Some of the squad were still a little disdainful towards him following his Epiphany. He’d gone from being the grunt of the squad to outranking everyone but Porsha.

  They were more used to it now, but for a while, things had been difficult.

  Porsha cut through a collapsed tunnel, and then another sewer pipe and some water mains, adding to the stream of water that now flowed along the bottom of the new tunnel.

  “We’re coming up on the enemy position,” Porsha warned him.

  “I see it,” Dain answered, his Aetheric Sight cutting through the layers of rock above him, giving him a sense of the building above. He could detect several life signs, as well.

  ~Griff, ready the squad, we’re nearly at the target.~

  ~Ready when you are. Just give the word.~

  “Alright, we’re here,” Porsha called out, stopping as her Magic faded. “I’m ready to cut through, up into the building. Get the squad down here.”

  ~Griff, get down here. Leave only a token force to hold the position.~

  ~On our way,~ the squad leader called out.

  The tunnel roof above them exploded.

  Dain flung himself back and away as chunks of rock clunked off his armour. He landed in the rubble and rolled up into a crouch. He brought his weapon up as he looked up into the hole a short distance away. Two seconds passed, and he spotted movement. Dain squeezed the trigger and spat Essentia-infused, metallic death at the figure he saw through the hole. His rounds hit home, and the figure dropped. They returned fire wildly, their bullets slamming into the floor ahead of him.

  Behind him, Dain could hear the sounds of distant footsteps. His squad was approaching. He scanned the rubble for any sign of Porsha. He couldn’t see her, but he could sense life under the rocks. ~Porsha, you alive under there?~

  He waited, but there was no reply.

  Damn it.

  Bullets slammed into the rocks just next to him. Ducking right, Dain took a few steps forward and spotted another trooper. She squeezed a few off, hitting the edge of the hole more than anything else, kicking up dust. He backed up.

  ~Porsha? Are you there?~ he asked again.

  Rocks shot up from the rubble and through the hole like speeding bullets. Dust exploded, followed by the yells and screams of people in pain in the building above. As the dust cleared, Dain spotted Porsha standing up from the pile of rubble.

  ~Well don’t just sit there, get over here,~ Porsha ordered him.

  ~Copy that,~ he replied and jumped up, picking his way over the rubble as Porsha floated up through the hole, carried through the air by her Magic. As she moved, gunfire rang out. Essentia flared, rocks were flung, and men screamed in pain.

  Dain climbed to the highest part of the pile and jumped for the edge of the hole. He caught it and hauled himself up. Porsha stood nearby, and several prone, unmoving bodies lay strewn across the floor.

  “Nice work,” Dain said.

  “Thanks. Help them up will you?” She pointed down the hole.

  Dain moved and helped their squad up through the hole.

  “I thought there was a Magus up here?” he directed the question at Porsha.

  “So did I, but he’s not here now,” she answered.

  Dain grunted. “Let’s finish this.”

  “Agreed,” Porsha replied and led the group through the room and out into a corridor. There were panicked shouts up ahead, marking the direction of the enemy troopers. The group followed, moving carefully up the hallway and checking side rooms, but the voices were ahead of them.

  The corridor branched to their right ahead, the voices were coming from that direction. In Dain’s Aetheric Sight, he filtered the view to pick up sonic vibrations and spotted them coming from that right turn ahead.

  ~On the right, you see it?~ Porsha asked.

  ~Got it,~ Dain confirmed as Porsha’s Magic flared.

  ~I’ve got two guards just around the corner,~ she stated and looked back to him. ~Ready to take them out?~

  Dain nodded and pointed to Jaik and Lana behind him. ~You two, up. Two targets beyond that corner, then take point. Porsha and I will follow, Griff and Elva follow us in, Braydi and Lexi bring up the rear.~

  Everyone confirmed their understanding and reshuffled. After a count of three, Jaik and Lana ducked out and shot the two guards, putting a burst of almost-silent bullets into them. Dain was right behind them as the two on-point moved into the room.

  Gunfire sounded as they entered the room. Dain moved for cover with Porsha, making sure to spread out away from their squad. Leaning out, Dain spotted several guards in the large room. There were a couple of gantries above, and the enemy troopers were spread throughout the room. Dain fired on one, knocking him back with his Essentia-infused ammunition.

  Beside him, Porsha boosted her Aegis. ~Cover me,~ she said.

  Dain nodded as Porsha stood and strode out into the room, drawing fire that pinged off her Aegis. Dain popped up, along with the rest of the squad—who were inside the room by now—and fired back.

  In Dain’s Aetheric Sight, another glowing figure stepped out to meet Porsha. The enemy Magus attacked her right away.

  Lightning flew across the room and slammed into her Aegis as Dain focused on the Accord troopers and picked off two more in quick succession. Porsha retaliated, sending a devastating particle beam at the Accord Magus that tore at his Aegis. The Essentia in her attack hit the Accord Magus hard, making him stumble back. In a break in enemy fire, Dain aimed his weapon at the Magus and fired.

  Porsha lashed out.

  Lightning arced across the room from the Accord Magus and smashed into Dain’s Aegis. He hit the floor with a thud that sent pain across his back. With a grunt, he rolled over and picked himself up.

  ~Are you okay?~ Porsha asked.

  ~Fine, don’t worry about me,~ Dain replied as he took a breath. His ribs ached. He took two more seconds to recover and refocus, then he popped up in time to see Porsha destroy the man’s Aegis and then fry him with a lightning bolt. To his right, Jaik and Lana broke from cover and advanced into the room. Dai
n spotted another soldier and took him out with a quick burst of fire, while his squad did likewise.

  Five seconds later, the room fell silent.

  Dain broke cover and moved into the room, his weapon ready, but no one else showed themselves.

  ~Sweep the building,~ Dain ordered his squad. ~Let’s make sure we got them all.~

  They moved out as Dain stepped up to Porsha. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine,” she replied without emotion. She was gazing down at the dead Magus at her feet. “Such a waste.”

  Dain nodded. “I know. It’s madness.”

  “We’d best report in,” Porsha suggested.

  “Let’s finish our sweep of the building first,” Dain suggested.

  It didn’t take long to discover that the rest of the building was empty. They reported it back to the sergeant before reporting in to Commander Graz. Dain listened in to the Link.

  ~The Airbase is secure, sir,~ Porsha said.

  ~Excellent news,~ Graz replied. ~This planet is basically safe now. The Accord is in retreat.~

  ~Good to hear,~ Porsha replied.

  ~If you say so, Knight. The war isn’t going quite so well elsewhere. We have reports that the Accord is rolling through Templar Knight Space and Dimande Dynasty space. The Terran Foundation might be holding its own for the time being, but not everyone is so lucky.~

  ~I’m sorry to hear that, sir.~

  ~Make sure everything is secure over there and wait for new orders. Graz out.~

  The Link cut off, and Porsha looked over at Dain, raising her eyebrows.

  “The Templars and the Dimande?” Dain asked.

  Porsha nodded. “Both are in bad positions. The Dimande is cut off, on the other side of Accord territory, and the Templars are right in no-man’s land between the Larzentus and Arcturus Dynasties.”

  “Shit,” Dain replied.

  News from the Deep

  Varmer Colony, 1742 Light-years from Sol

  Amanda settled onto the sofa beside Crystal, who was finally awake. She looked up at Amanda and smiled. “You found me, then.”

  “We did,” Amanda replied, glancing back at Trevelyan who stood off to one side. “How are you?”

  “A little groggy, but I’m okay. Is the ship…?”

  Amanda nodded. “The ship and Logos are both fine, they survived the flight here,” Amanda replied, referring to the AI aboard the Aether Ship Crystal had been on.

  “Good.”

  “Whose ship is that? I don’t remember you owning one,” Amanda asked.

  “No, I don’t. I borrowed it. And as for who it belongs to, well, that’s related to what I need to tell you.”

  “Oh? Wait, let me guess. The Crux is coming.”

  Crystal nodded. “That’s part of it. How did you know?”

  “There’ve been some attacks on several outer colonies. We’re at one now that was razed by Crux forces.”

  “So, they’ve reached the Nexus. Shit.”

  “Only just, I think,” Amanda answered.

  “More are coming.” There was a note of warning in Crystal’s voice.

  “I know. There were two Void Dragons on your tail.”

  “Oh, sorry.”

  “That’s okay,” Amanda reassured her. “I sent them packing.”

  An impressed expression passed over Crystal’s face. “Well done.”

  Amanda shrugged. “Were you attacked on your ship? There were a couple of bodies.”

  “Right. We were at Bastion Station—Myself, Valerya, Kora and her crew, and Anka—and the Crux attacked. Lilitu was there…”

  “Lilitu?” Amanda felt her breath catch in her throat. “You mean the Archon?”

  “Yes. She attacked us. Anka insisted I leave and bring the news back to the Nexus.”

  “Who’s this Anka?” Amanda hadn’t heard the name before.

  Crystal smiled. “Well, it seems the Demiurge had a girlfriend before he was captured by the Crux.”

  “Wait, hold on. What do you mean ‘captured’? Do they still have him?”

  Crystal nodded. “According to Anka, they have him trapped inside the black hole at the centre of the galaxy. Sagittarius A*.”

  “I’m aware of it,” Amanda confirmed.

  “Well, apparently, in order to hold him there, several of them need to focus on being his jailers, so maybe they’re using their combined Magic to keep the Demiurge contained. We think that’s changed with the Alliance they now have with the Archons. They can keep the Demiurge imprisoned, but also begin to consolidate their power and look outward once more.”

  Amanda nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “Anka seemed to know what she was talking about.”

  “And she was the Demiurge’s partner?”

  Crystal shrugged. “She was fairly light on details about that, but that was the impression I got.”

  “So, if it takes several of the Crux or Archons to hold the Demiurge captive, if we can take one or more of them out, maybe we could free him, or allow him to free himself?”

  “Who knows. Maybe.”

  Amanda frowned as she thought it through. Was releasing the Demiurge the right thing to do? That would be one more hideously powerful creature with an agenda she knew nothing about, abroad in the galaxy. But on the other hand, he might be their only chance to defeat the Archons.

  “What I do know, is that we need to find him and free him,” Crystal stated.

  “You think that’s a good idea?”

  “What else can we do?”

  “What if he returns to Earth?” Trevelyan asked.

  Crystal looked up at him. “I’m aware of the risks. But surely the Archons are a greater threat. The Demiurge imprisoned the Archons to protect humanity and tasked us with watching over Earth. I doubt he’ll return to Earth and cause trouble.”

  “Hmmm. Good point.”

  “We need to do this soon,” Crystal suggested.

  “I know, but we need to warn the Nexus before we leave. The Crux is right on their doorstep. They need to know.”

  “Time is of the essence here,” Crystal replied.

  “I agree, but I’m not leaving yet. I need to speak with the Septhian Queen, and with the Terran Foundation.”

  “The what? The Terran Foundation?”

  “Oh, you missed that, didn’t you? Yeah, our little Terran Alliance joined with the Tempus Foundation. We decided we’d be stronger together, but many of the Dynasties didn’t like it. It split the Nexus, and plunged us into war.”

  “Oh, crap. The Nexus versus the Accord?”

  “Yep. It’s all-out war now. The Nexus War.”

  “This couldn’t happen at a worse time,” Crystal commented.

  “No. No, it couldn’t, and if we don’t warn them, they’ll be taken completely by surprise.”

  “Do you think they’ll listen?” Crystal didn’t sound hopeful.

  “I have no idea,” Amanda admitted. “But I have to try. I think the Foundation will listen.”

  Crystal nodded. “Alright, let’s do this, but we need to head to Sagittarius A* as soon as we can.”

  “I agree,” Amanda answered as she stood. “Give me a moment, we need to get back to Tyrael.” Crystal nodded and sat back as Amanda went to the bridge and settled into her chair.

  Amanda focused on the concept of the Quantum Point and willed her Magic into existence, transporting the ship across space in an instant. With a snap of intense energy, the ship Ported into low orbit above the lush green-tree planet of Tyrael.

  “Take us in, Matt,” Amanda said. He and Jinx were the only two on the bridge with her.

  “Will do,” Matt replied. “I’m glad to be away from that colony.”

  “Hmm. I suspect that will be minor compared to what’s still to come,” Amanda mused.

  “Do you think we can beat the Crux? And the Archons?” he asked, looking back at her.

  “It’s not a foregone conclusion. I believe we stand a chance against the Crux, but I think Crystal is right. I th
ink we need the Demiurge’s help on this.”

  “What about your mother?” Matt asked.

  Amanda nodded. “Possibly. I have no idea if she’ll be able to help, but I will call on her if I need to.”

  “I’d feel a lot better with an Aeon on our side,” Matt replied.

  “So would I, Matt. So would I.”

  Matt returned his attention to the console and guided the ship in, under the canopy and down towards the royal residence towards the core of the curious planet.

  As before, Amanda and her crew were shown through into a modest reception room made entirely from intricately carved or shaped wood, with only a few other accent materials or devices here and there.

  “This is stunning,” Crystal commented as they waited for the Septhian Queen to join them.

  Amanda nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty special.”

  They didn’t wait long. After ten minutes, the door opened, and the queen glided into the room in an elegant white dress with gold accents.

  “You’re back very quickly. I barely had time to change,” the Queen commented.

  “Miss Page here has displayed an impressive Magical ability,” Lusha said. “She took on two Void Dragons single-handedly, killing one and chasing the second one away.”

  Queen Nuala nodded and turned to look at Amanda. “That is impressive. Not to mention your ability to travel great distances as quickly as you do. I’ve heard that some of the older Un-Sundered can do a similar trick, but it’s rare.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness. If we could sit, please, I would like to tell you what we’ve discovered.”

  The queen obliged. “Is it as we feared?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Amanda answered, only sitting after the queen took her place. “It was indeed the Crux. They’re raiding your outer colonies. I believe this is merely the leading edge of their forces. The scouts. A much greater force will soon follow.”

  The queen nodded, taking in what Amanda had just said. “Is there any chance that you’re wrong about this? Do you have any proof?”

  “Your Highness,” Crystal cut in. “I have just returned from Crux space, fleeing the advancing forces. Amanda is correct in her assessment. The Crux are coming, and in vast numbers. You must prepare for them.”